Blossoms of Fire

Blossoms of Fire (also known as Ramo de fuego) is a 2000 documentary film about the people of Juchitán, Oaxaca, Mexico. Author Elena Poniatowska described the women of Juchitán de Zaragoza, a city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, as “guardians of men, distributors of food.” Artists like Miguel Covarrubias and Frida Kahlo celebrated their beauty and intelligence. Blossoms of Fire shows them in their daily lives as they run their own businesses, emb... More

Blossoms of Fire (also known as Ramo de fuego) is a 2000 documentary film about the people of Juchitán, Oaxaca, Mexico. Author Elena Poniatowska described the women of Juchitán de Zaragoza, a city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, as “guardians of men, distributors of food.” Artists like Miguel Covarrubias and Frida Kahlo celebrated their beauty and intelligence. Blossoms of Fire shows them in their daily lives as they run their own businesses, embroider their signature fiery blossoms on clothing and comment on articles in the foreign press that depict them as a promiscuous matriarchy. In particular, an article in the Latin American version of ELLE Magazine infuriated the community during the time the filmmakers were shooting in 1994. Yet, it is expressed throughout the film by the women that they do not consider their society to be a matriarchy. The people interviewed in this film share a common work ethic and independent streak rooted in Zapotec culture. The movie demonstrates...

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